Dear Brickheads,

I have a loyal and trusty 1991 240 with a measly 170,000 miles on it. One day I start it up and the overdrive doesn't kick in as I drive over 40 - 50 MpH. I took it to a very relaible Volvo shop here in Las Vegas. The mechanic says it is most likely the solenoid. Because the feels the OD relay behind the glove box is working. And even though the wire that runs from the replay to the solenoid is slightly frayed, the solenoid is still getting power. Also my tranny fluid is pretty new and pink in color. He has a good used solenoid on hand, it is still going to run into about $200 to fix.

However, I have read that a frayed wire can cause irregular power to the solenoid? And my OD DOES actually work after the car has warmed up and been driven for about 10 miles. Very strange!

I am thinking he ought to give that wire a closer look!?

What do you people think my best bet would be?

-Donald in Las Vegas

Like the other guys said... first re-solder the relay (or replace it, new ones aren't too expensive, junkyard ones are almost free).
Then check the wires below- I had to remove the crossmember and lower the transmission to get at my solenoid wiring to fix it in my 86. It's been 3 years and it's working fine. Access is poor, and greasy, but you can get the job done up there without any magic or special tools needed.
Uh, support the transmission well before removing the crossmember!!
--
Rob Bareiss, New London CT ::: '86 244DL- 215K, 87 244DL- 230K, 88 744GLE- 198K, 91 244 180K

...make sure that it's not frozen like mine was. Almost felt like the overdrive was off...after a few miles of stop and go, it would shift fine. Sprayed lotsa wd40 down the cable to loosen it up. Works fine now.

Cheers,
SM
--
90 BMW 325is, 98 BMW 528i, 90 Volvo 240DL

I'd also check out the relay closely as my OD exhibited some of the same symptoms as yours until I resoldered (Fosterized) the relay. Resoldering the relay is another free exercise and, if nothing else, enhances the reliability of your OD relay.

Good luck,

Justin B.

I believe that there is a pictorial from Don Foster on re-soldering the relay in the FAQs or the Archives.

Hard to keep in mind, for me anyway, that the mechanic works from most expensive parts/fixes downward, and the customer really wants to work from cheapest repair/fix upwards.

First step is: Don't spend the money!

Good Luck,

Bob

:>)

I hear ya. But, I guess if you look at their point of view they have to worry about paying the bills. A friend of mine owns a garage and he tries to take care of the customer (money wise) and he always seems to be on the brink of disaster. I've seen him troubleshoot wierd intermittent problems for days and only charge a couple hours labor...

Justin

repair the wire!! The Solenoids on the trannys are tip top quality. Also always go for the cheaper repair first. You can probably fix the wire yourself. My solenoid wire was ripped apart one day driving along at 70 mph, tranny jumped down to third immediately. Drive shaft was the culprit. Solenoid still works perfectly!

CAT
'88 240DL 293K
'89 240DL 180K

I agree - had the same problem on my 93. Repaired the wire and the problem was solved. Also, see a Bentley manual for the trouble shooting procedure to determine if it's wiring, solenoid, or relay.